Envelop-lock.



Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

ENVELOP LOCK. APPLIoATloN FILED Plum, 1914.

/Z Inventor Attorneys THE MORRIS PETERS C0., FHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGYON,D, c

CHARLES C. BUCKNER, OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS.

ENVELOP-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed February 9, 1914. Serial No. 817,649.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES C. BUGKNER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Texarkana, in the county ofBowie and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Envelop-Lock,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a sealing or locking device forenvelops and other containers, and aims to provide a novel and improvedmeans for locking or sealing the closure flap of an envelop, whereby theenvelop cannot be opened without tearing or mutilating the same, so asto be apparent to the recipient of the envelop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide locking meanswithin thev interior of the envelop in connection with a keeper carriedby the flap, novel means being providedfor actuating the said lockingmeans' from the exterior of the envelop, when the flap is closed, toenable the said locking means to be engaged to the keeper of the flapfor locking or sealing the flap.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in adevice of the nature indicated, actuating means for the locking means,which may be exposed on the exterior of the envelop, prior to thelocking or sealing of the envelop for mailing or transmission, 'andwhereby the actuating means may be destroyed for further use when theenvelop is mailed or started in transit. i

'It is also within the scope of the present invention to provide anenvelop lock or seal of comparatively simple, compact and inexpensiveconstruction, and which will also be simple7 convenient, practical andeiiicient in its use, the present device being readily applicable tovarious envelops or containers for the purposes indicated.`

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without Y departing from the spirit oftheinvention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a back view of an envelophaving the improved lock applied thereto. Fig. 2 1s a fragmental insideview of the back of the envelop, illustrating the parts in locked' orsealed condition. Eig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on theline 3`3 of Fig. 2, the several parts being shown o n an exaggeratedscale. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 8.

The envelop to which the present lock is applicable is of the ordinarylsort, and as illustrated embodies the front or face l and the back 2,the front or face l having the usual closure flap 3 vfoldable over themouth of the envelop and against the back 2. It is to be understood,however, at the outset, that the present lock or seal is applicable tovarious envelops or other containers, as will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

In carrying out the present invention, the back 2 of the envelop orcontainer is preferably, although not necessarily, reinforced upon theinterior and intermediate its ends, by a sheet of paper or othersuitable material 4 pasted or otherwise secured to the back adjoiningthe mouth of the envelop. The back 2 of the envelop and the reinforcingpiece 4 are provided with an elongated opening or slot 5 over which 3 isadapted to swing when the closure flap is folded over the back.

A slide or latch 6, constructed or fashioned from a suitable plate orstrip, is slidably or the closure flap movably mounted upon the interiorof the back 2, or the reinforcing piece 4, by means of a strip ofsuitable paper or other material 7 having its end portions pasted orotherwise secured to the inner side of the back 2 at one side of theslot 5, the intermediate or central portion of the strip 7 being oset toform a guide or slideway 8 for the slide or latch 6. The slide or latch6 is movable upon the inner side of the reinforcing piece 4 with one endportion of the slide or latch disposed over or adjoining the slot oropening 5. The said end of the slide or latch 6 is provided with anopening 9, and the latch or slide is provided with the tongue 10projecting into the opening 9 and adapted to be moved to and from theslot or opening 5 in the back of the envelop.

ln order tov actuate the slide or latch .6, cords or other flexibleelements 11 and 12 are connected to the respective ends of the latch orslide 6, and are normally threaded outivardly through apertures 13provided in the back of the envelop beyond the ends of the slide orlatch, so that the free or terminal portions of the cords 11 and 12 maybe disposed upon the exterior of the envelop, as seen in Fig. 1. lt isevident, at this point, that by pulling the respective cords 11 and 12,the latch or slide 6 may be moved in either direction, to either projectthe tongue 10 across the slot 5, or to retract the tongue away from theslot, as suggested in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The closure flap 3 is provided With an inner keeper for engagement bythe latch or slide 6, and to this end, a plate ll is dis'- posed uponthe other side of the flap 3 and is provided with an instruck tongue 15engaging through the slot or slit in the flap 3, the tongue l-beingformed or bent to provide a keeper 16 upon the inner side of the flap.rl`he keeper 16 is adapted to be proj jected or inserted through theslot 5 when the closure flap 3 is closed. The upper or free end of thetongue 15 is anchored in place, by means of opposite extending tingers1'? bent from the plate lll and overlapping the keeper tongue 15adjoining its upper or free end, the upper or free end 13 of the tongue15 being bent back over the overlapped lingers 17. rlhe keeper 16 isoset inwardly from the closure flap, to

readily pass through the slot 5 when the flap is closed, the dimensionsof the parts being somewhat exaggerated in Figs. 3 and 1l, for thepurpose of clearness. A reinforcing sheet 19 is pasted or otherwisesecured upon the inner side of the closure tlap 3, to assist inanchoring or securing the keeper plate 1li upon the outer side of theclosure flap, and the plate .111, is preferably covered by means offacing sheet 2O pasted or secured in any other suitable manner upon theouter side of the closure flap over the plate lil.

llfhen the envelop is open, the slide or latch 6, constituting thelocking or sealing ineans is slid longitudinally, to retract the lockingtongue 10 from over the slot 5, whereby the keeper 1o will pass throughthe slot 5 and opening 9 of the latch or slide 3 when the flap 3 isclosed. yllhen, by drawing or pulling the cord 11 through the respectiveaperture 13, the slide or latch v6 may be slid, so as to project thelocking tongue 10 through the keeper 16, as seen in Fig. 2, to therebylock the closure Hap in closed position. lifter the closure flap has-been locked `or sealed, in the manner indilarmes cated, the actuatingcords 11 and 12 are cut or severed at the apertures 13 which will causethe inner portions of the said cords to drop away from the apertures 13as seen in Fig. 2, and consequently, the latch or slide 6 can no longerbe actuated from the eX- terior. lt is preferable to crush the lockingdevice by pressing the same together, whereby the keeper and slide orlatch 6 Will be engaged together in such a manner as to avoid thedisengagement of the slide or latch 6 from the keeper. ln the mannerindicated the envelop or container may be locked or sealed in aconvenientand eflicient manner, to prevent ythe envelop from beingtampered With, by malicious or unauthorized persons Without detection.To open the envelop, it is necessary to tear or destroy the same.

The present locking device is particularly useful upon envelops fortransmitting money or other valuable, to eliminate the necessity ofsewing and then sealing the closure flap with Wax, as is commonpractice. rllhe cord 12 may be dispensed With if desired, but it is ofadvantage, inasmuch as it permits the slide or latch G to be movedreadily to opened or unlocked position, prior to the final sealing orlocking of the closure flap.

Having thus vdescribed the invention, What l claim as neu7 is 1. Thecombination With an envelop including a closure flap and having anopening in its back, of a keeper carried the flap and insertible throughthe said opening, locking means movably mounted Within the envelop andengageable With the said keeper, and severable actuating means connectedto the aforesaid means and passing outwardly through the envelop forengaging the aforesaid means with the keeper'.

Y 2. rl`he combination with an envelop including a closure flap andhaving an` opening in its back, of a keeper carried by the closure flapand insertible through the said opening, a locking member movablymountv.

ed Within the envelop and having a portion insertible through the saidkeeper, and a severable cord connected to the said mein* ber andthreaded through the envelop for moving the said member into engagementwith the keeper.

3. lThe combination with an envelop including` a closure flap and havinga slot in its back, of a keeper carried by the flap and insertiblethrough the said slot, a latch slidable upon the inner side of the backadjoining the said slot and having means engageable through the saidkeeper, and an actuating cord attached to the latch and threaded throughthe back of the envelop for sliding the latch into engagement with thekeeper.

4. The combination with an envelop inoluding a Hap and having a slot inits back, of an inner guide carried by the said back adjoining the slot,a slide movable in the said guide and having an opening adjoining thesaid slot and a tongue projecting into the said opening, a keepercarried by the Hap and projeotable through the said slot and opening tobe engaged by the said tongue, and a severable cord connected to theslide for moving the same to engage the 10 tongue to the keeper.`

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CHARLES C. BUCKNER. Witnesses:

S. J. MoRRIss, ED. WATSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1D. C.

